Reykjavík Grapevine - jun. 2023, Page 25

25 Music
The National Museum of Iceland
Suðurgata 41, 102 Reykjavík
Opening Hours
Daily 10-17
www. nationalmuseum.is
+354 530 2200
@thjodminjasafn
is you go into a record store, and
say, ‘I really like Sigur Rós. What’s
another artist like them?’ And they
always say the same thing, which is,
‘Well, there isn’t another artist like
Sigur Rós – because Sigur Rós is
Sigur Rós.’”

A BARREN CORPORATE
LANDSCAPE

Due to the lack of formal record
labels, Icelandic musicians not
working within the mainstream
pop framework often need to look
abroad for marketing and manage-
rial support. The domestic market
doesn’t seem to sustain them. This
tendency often leads to a loss of
capital derived from the artist as
well as knowledge of industry best
practices in Iceland. In essence, the
specialisation within the domestic
music industry becomes degraded.
Although FOUND aims to elevate
Icelandic musicians to the glob-
al level, its operations are sure to
affect the current domestic land-
scape.

“I think that the successful record
labels in Iceland, in general, are
focusing on the Icelandic market,
which forces them to focus on the
pop side of things in order to make
it work for them,” says Scott. “And I
think, since our market is worldwide,
we can help find the more unique
voices in the Icelandic music scene,
which are going to have a bigger
ultimate impact,” he continues.
Scott attributes the success of
Icelandic superstars like Björk and
Ólafur Arnalds to their highly unique
and individualised voices. “Their
voices were distinct from a particu-
lar genre, and they truly did craft
something that changed the world. I
believe the artists we’re working with
have that same potential, and that’s
what I’m really looking for,” Scott
says, not positive but convinced. “I
think this label has the ability to fos-
ter and nurture those artists at the
smaller level … and hopefully have
artists break out more regularly, as
opposed to once every decade,” he
continues.
SLOWING DOWN

Because Icelandic music has dis-
played its notable effervescence
and diversity for multiple decades
– at least since the start of the punk
and new-wave era, it’s a wonder no
entity has already tried to capitalise
on this treasure trove. For Scott, it’s
about time, place and the overall
atmosphere within the scene. He
notes increased cross-semination
and collaboration between artists.
“If I was going to credit one thing for
what has stirred everything up – in
my mind it’s post-dreifing. The scale
of what post-dreifing has accom-
plished in such a short amount of
time is really amplifying that excite-
ment and I think that’s infectious
across the entire Icelandic music
scene.”

In terms of the practical aspect,
Scott aims to be in this project in the
long run, developing the artists and
building relationships. He looks to
the record labels of yore where artist
development was an investment and
not a liability – slowing things down
in a sense. “The main thing you have
to do is be patient, be pure to the
artist’s vision and make sure that
they reach the audience that truly
resonates with them.

In Scott’s view, the advent of FOUND
will not lead to further loss of Icelan-
dic talent out of the country as the
label aims to utilise the available do-
mestic resources. “We’re just a little
bit different than everybody else,”
Scott responds to these concerns.
“We’re not based in Iceland and
we’re not completely outward facing.
We are a blend, based in America
but focused on working with local
industry professionals – shooting
music videos with Anna Maggý for
example or recording albums in
Icelandic studios. What we’re really
looking for is to share as much of
the Icelandic culture with the rest of
the world,” he says.
While Icelandic artists will still prob-
ably coagulate into loose collectives
to release their recordings, FOUND
introduces an exciting new dimen-
sion into the otherwise stagnant
Icelandic music industry.
What we’re really looking for is
to share as much of the Icelan-
dic culture with the rest of the
world.
There isn’t another artist like
Sigur Rós – because Sigur
Rós is Sigur Rós.